Act One: Castaways

Session One 11/12/13

Day 1
Morning
Aradin wakes up to a painful nip on his foot. Sitting up he is overwhelmed with nausea and finds himself confronting a horror from the nearby water's edge: a sea scorpion! He spots his weapons and armor close by in a haphazard pile mixed with those of the other, unconscious, six people on the beach with him. His movements have startled the beast and it rears back and attacks him with both its pincers and its poisoned tail. Its attacks are painful but not immediately life threatening, but the beasts poison seems to have a numbing effect on him, slowing his reactions and making him clumsy.

Another of the beasts nips at Mailia, who awakes to the same sight. She immediately attempts to armor herself magically, but is distracted by the creature, and is too stung. The pair quickly manage to squish, electrify, and crush the trio of ocean arachnids about the time the other castaways begin to stir.

Everyone is feeling sick from the effects of some combination of sunburn, exposure, dehydration, and the aftereffects of some unknown poison from the night before in their veins. All the NPCs are feeling Shaken from the trauma.

After a brief consultation, they determine that they have shipwrecked on Smuggler's Shiv. Smuggler’s Shiv is a notorious island north of Vahear, not shown on most maps, but rightfully feared by those who ply the nearby waters. The island is named not only for the knife-like shape of its coastline, but for its uncanny habit of wrecking ships that draw too near—mostly smugglers eager to avoid detection by local navies. It’s commonly believed that the shores of Smuggler’s Shiv are haunted by the ghosts and ghouls of the sailors who have died on the jagged rocks and reefs surrounding the island. These rumors are supported by reports of several failed attempts to establish long-lasting colonies on the remote island. A lighthouse was erected on the Shiv’s southwest shore, intended to warn approaching ships of the dangerous waters and, eventually, was to have been the first building in a small colony. The light and all plans for colonization were abandoned just before completion amid rumors of curses, haunts, and cannibalism. Rumors hold that a group of shipwrecked Climan soldiers, survivors of an attempted invasion of Vahear some 70 years ago, were stranded on the island. The rumors claim that they degenerated into a cannibalistic society, and that their descendants scour the isle’s shores for shipwreck victims to add to their meals.

Out along the cliffs leading to the sea, they see their ship being smashed against the rocks. The party decides to investigate in hopes of information and supplies. On-board, a much larger sea scorpion, an eurypterid is below decks attempting to break into a store room, but with the party's arrival, switches targets. After killing it, they manage to open the door to the store room, finding the 1st Mate, Anton Devers, dead inside. His body bears both weapon and stinger wounds, though it is anyone's guess as to which he died from. While Aradin tries to figure out how to pack the supplies, Mailia searches the larder, letting out a scream when the day-old corpse of the cook falls on her. He appears to have been bitten on the neck by a very large snake. 24 man-days of food are found. (Food total: 24)

Searching the Captain's cabin they find a few treasures, including a fine bottle of brandy, a ship-in-a-bottle, a potion belt and some cash. Also, they discover his logbook, charts, and maps. In a separate footlocker they find Jask's gear. They make their way back to the beach, where some in-fighting has gone on among the castaways as tempers have flared and personalities clashed.

The party does some smoothing over, bringing Aeys and Sasha around. They offer their help as defenders, entertainers, or hunters. Ghelik, Isharu, and Jask remain aloof. Mailia offers up her personal rations bringing the total food to 29.

Daytime
Mailia frees Jask with the keys she found in the Captain'c cabin and returns his gear, which makes him immediately friendly; he offers his help as a skilled hunter or trained medic. He also asks the party to keep an eye out for a ship rumored to have been wrecked on the isle that might hold proof of his innocence.

The castaways set up a camp near the beach while Mailia and Jask hunt. The camp is finished shortly after they return with 3 man-days of food (new total: 32). Game, water, and food are plentiful, so with one dedicated hunter they should be able to easily feed the 7 of them.

Session Two 11/14/13

Evening
The party attempts to bring Gelik and Isharu around, but they stay unfriendly. No one has been exposed to disease today. Watches are discussed and set.

Night
New food total 25. Aradin has a strange dream of a wooden spoon, the ship, and the Captain under the thrall of Ireana. The weather turns cooler…very refreshing!

Day 2
Morning
The night has taken its toll on the castaways; all but Jask seem on edge, frightened by strange dreams and the reality of their situation. Jask is in good spirits, ready for whatever this new adventure holds. Jobs are assigned: Aeys to bolster the castaways' spirits, Jask to watch over everyone's health, and Sasha is sent out to hunt. The others are assigned jobs as well, but perform underwhelmingly.

The party have a map of the island but are unsure of their position and decide to head west along the coast and explore a little. They decide to walk along the cliffs so they can get a good view of the nearby waters. The weather has remained cool with a nice breeze. After an hour or two of walking they decide to head inland and scale a nearby hill. A mated pair of Thrune cannibals are coming down the hill and the two groups meet, initiating an immediate combat. The male cannibal is killed but the female escapes, wounded. Continuing up the hill the party gets a good look at the surroundings and pinpoint their location. Investigating a nearby crevasse they discover a venomous snake, which Aradin neatly cuts in half before it can strike.

Daytime
The day is still cool and the party decides to bathe in a small pool on their way back to the camp. Mailia is almost dragged under by zombies but manages to escape to shore along with Aradin. Before they can destroy all the undead one of the zombies catches her with a lucky blow and knocks her out and proceeds to kill her. Aradin beheads the monster before it can turn on him. Saddened, he returns to camp with her body. They bury it and Jask says a few words.

Evening
Aeys consoles Aradin, sharing a drink with him. His pain seems to speak to her and she opens up to him, telling him how her drinking has become a burden. She thinks the island might hold nettle berries which can help with such addictions. Isharu snaps out of his funk and promises to take his duties more seriously, while Gelik remains unhelpful and waspish. Sasha lashes out at Aradin, berating him for his failure keeping Mailia alive, extra guilt the man does not need. She immediately regrets it and Jask relays her embarrassed apology.

Night
Aradin dreams about the ship, spoons, soup, and snakes. He awakens having bitten his own tongue. Food: 9-6+25=28. A storm drops rain and winds on the island.

Day 3
Morning
The weather has worsened, turning into an unseasonably powerful storm. Their camp is threatened and must be moved. It seems Aradin wasn't the only one having unpleasant dreams however, as both Aeys and Gelik are on edge, jumping at every sound and looking haunted. Isharu, now that he has decided to throw in his lot with the other castaways has found some measure of composure, though he is still shaken. Sasha as well has seemed to bounce back from her funk yesterday, but is a little unsteady. Jask's optimism has only grown and his hopeful attitude seems likely to stay, at least until some outside event interferes.

On the hike to the new campsite where Mailia was killed, in the pouring rain, a herd of island goats breaks out of the forest and through the surprised party. Aradin manages to draw his blade and kill one, but the rest flee. Gelik and Aerys both break and run when the goats run past, but Aradin manages to wrangle them before they can get lost in the trees.

Daytime
The camp is setup before the rain breaks around 2 in the afternoon. Almost as quickly as it came, it is gone and the sun is shining. Aradin decides to cross the saddle and checkout the central bay area. He makes it to the top of a cliff at the shore, overlooking the vast bay. To the west is a queer island that stands out for no more reason then its greyish, dead color as compared to the riot of color and noise of the rest of the area. Aradin notes that the strange birds seem dense all along this area of cliff and returns to camp.

Evening
Sasha seems to have come around to the party and offers that the "birds" so common along the cliffs are actually fangbirds, large flying lizards that are particularity easy to train. She confesses a deep desire to possess an egg of the adorable critters. Gelik remains the only castaway who seems at odds with the party's leadership role.

Night
Food 28-6+9+4 (goat) = 35

Day 4
Morning
Morale is unchanged. Aradin decides he will get Sasha an egg this morning and sets off for the cliffs near the bay. As he approaches the nest stealthily a mated pair of the fangbirds attack him, performing dizzying flyby attacks and delivering weakening venom with every bite. After flailing about for a bit he manages to bring one down and chase the other off. Looking over the 50' cliff he spots the nest, with eggs, some 30' below. Throwing caution to the winds and trusting to his untrained (and poison weakened) strength alone, he descends to the nest with only minor delays. It is on the way back up that he slips just as he reaches the top. The sudden helping hand of Rylie, a sailor from the ship, saves him, but he loses his grip anyways and plunges the 50', surviving the fall but losing the egg.

Session Three 11/18/13

Daytime
Rylie climbs down the rock-face easily and stabilizes the dying inquisitor. Aradin recognizes the exotic beauty as a crewmember from aboard the doomed ship and notes that she must have been aboard the doomed ship after he and Mailai were as she carries the 1st Mate's MW shortsword and wears his MW studded leather armor. After taking stock of their situation and filling each other in on what has transpired in the last 4 days they set off west along the coast, Aradin not wanting to chance another brush with death. Rylie informs him that the cove their ship sunk in is the nearest break in the cliffs and they won't make it today. As they round the point, another nest of three fangbirds sets on them from out of nowhere but are soon dealt with, two killed and one driven off. Aradin sighs and begins stripping off his armor to check the nest for an egg, but Rylie offers to climb. For her it is a simple matter to scale the rocky cliff-face and she carefully packs away the single egg. They continue on around the point, finding themselves no longer sheltered by the lee of the island from the the winds and open sea along the north shore.

Evening
A little before dark they spy a wreck ahead on the shore. Not wanting to bypass it, nor explore it before having a chance to rest, Aradin calls for them to set camp. They begin foraging food, water, and wood and Rylie fights off an early sign of mindfire disease. Aradin manages to find some dead crabs but they prove poisonous and while he is not affected by the toxins, Rylie begins to trip the light fantastic. As he finishes setting up camp and getting the fire going as night falls, she begins pointing to sea and rambling about a ship. Aradin ignores her, but she is insistent and when he finally looks he sees distant sails.

Night
Soon after she points out shambling figures moving towards them from the ship's direction. Unsure of who or what they are, but expecting the worse, they slip into the rocks and up behind the approaching figures. The four sailors are long dead but still hunger; the pair quickly puts then down from ambush. Deciding to check the ship now in case there are more undead waiting to kill them in their sleep, Aradin enchants the necklace taken from the cannibal with light and steps forward to put it on Rylie. She considers accepting his marriage proposal, but refuses his advances. With that sorted out, they examine the ship, but it is not the Brine Demon, Jask's ship.

Camp Food: 46 - 5 = 41

Day 5
Morning
Morale holding back at camp, though just barely. They party arrives just before noon to the relief of the castaways. Aradin attempts to get Sasha to appreciate the efforts and near death he has suffered to get her the egg, but she seems more interested in it than him, much to his chagrin. She does share how she is the daughter of the Red Mantis Assassin guild leader in Sesserine and shares some quick pointers which will help ensure never going last when the violence starts (bonus +1 initiative).

Daytime
The castaways have many questions for Rylie, but she cannot answer most of them. She is friendly however and accepted easily into the camp. She takes an interest in the castaways and spends much of the day getting to know them. At one point she calls out Gelik for his behavior and cuts him down to size with a telling remark. Rather then being upset or insulted, he is delighted with her wit and befriends the girl, the jest seeming to break his mood and bring home the reality of the situation. Rylie also takes it on herself to mention Isharu's interest to Aerys, which makes her thoughtful and him grateful.

Evening
That night, around the fire there is unity and a sense of camaraderie for the first time since they washed ashore. Gelik tells them of how his superiors at the Pathfinder Society have placed him on "double-secret probation" due to a few "misunderstandings" of the value and authenticity of some antiquities he may, or may not, have sold to certain, unmentioned, nobles and how the discovery of the fate of the Nightvoice, a Pathfinder ship thought lost on the isle might just get him back in their good graces and just how much he would appreciate that.

Not to be outdone, Isharu breaks out one of the many treasure maps he has collected-a hobby of his-showing the party the location of a potential buried treasure to the south and how he would love to go treasure hunting.

Night
A quiet night; Food: 37 = 41 + 3 - 7.

Day 6
Morning
Aerys sleeps poorly again, haggard circles under her haunted eyes; Aradin attempts to swoop in and take advantage of the situation but is rebuffed….he is in the "friend-zone" now. He fails similarly with Sasha, who is too concerned with her egg to pay him much attention, and who's morale is still shaken, the same as Isharu. Gelik seems on the road to recovery, feeling more comfortable with the group, but is still a bit panicky, and is asked to help buoy the castaway's spirits .

The party heads out to check another wreck Rylie had seen on her journey circumnavigating the isle counter-clockwise from where she landed. They have to wait for the tide to withdraw to open a path out to the ship which is offshore a bit. It is empty and deserted and also not the ship they were seeking.

Daytime
With time to spare they decide to finish exploring this little area, finishing the norther arm of the island. They find two more fangbird nesting areas and decide to clean one out but have to wait until just before dark for the lone resident to come back. They make short work of the reptile.

Evening
They arrive back at the camp late, but all is well: no diseases or encounters. The castaways are all friendly at this point.

Night
Another quiet night; food: 41 = 37 + 11 - 7

Day 7
Morning
Aerys seems to have bounced back, still shaken but a far cry better then the near hysterical woman she had been over the last few days. Sasha and Isharu as well seem in better spirits, though Gelik, after hearing the tales of man-sized fangbirds and about their ferocity, is seen to be watching the skies an inordinate amount of the time, seemingly on edge.

Session Four 11/25/13

Days 8 to 18
The party continues exploring for many days, moving camp after it is attacked in the night by cannibals and again as they progress south. They find the remnants of a camp proving that Ireana and the Captain survived. Aradin and Aerys grow closer, becoming lovers, bonded by their love of the sea. All the castaways have become friendly and the party has succeeded in winning several over by performing special tasks for them. Of particular note were Rylie breaking out in an almost lethal rash while collecting nettle-berries and the love-lorn ghost of Captain Kinkarian. Only Gelik and Aerys are suffering lapses in morale, the rest are hopeful of rescue.

Session Five 11/27/13

Day 19
The party goes after Ishirou's treasure. As the three climb the cliff (slowly for Ishirou's sake) they are attacked by a giant spider hidden in the cliff-face. Aradin is webbed and attacked. Ishiorou performs an incredible acrobatic climbing maneuver to flank the creature and it is finally put to death. The party explores the hilltop area during the daylight hours. They are attacked by some snakes, but make short work of them. At sunset, they find the spot marked on the map with the help of the setting sun and the pillar-like rocks offshore.

They begin digging, using light spells to see. After an eternity (10'), they find a hollow-sounding wood floor and a dwarven skeleton. They start breaking the flooring they are standing on. As it breaks, Rylie drops through 40' into the water pit and is attacked by ghouls while Aradin manages to grab onto the edge.

Rylie rages and manages to survive the onslaught of claws and teeth while treading water as best she can. Aradin calls for the rope. Ishirou throws it to him and he rides it down into the depths, first dropping a light enhanced dagger into the Stygian depths. The ghouls are destroyed, the treasure found, and it is decided to split it among all the castaways.

The party's camp is attacked by a spider swarm during the night, and realizing they cannot affect it, Ishirou and Aradin flee. Rylie stands firm and convinces the creatures to seek food elsewhere using her wild empathy.

Much rejoicing is to be had back at the main camp on their return. The party decide they need to finish up a large swath of the island and tell the castaways that they will be gone overnight at least.

Day 20
Early in the morning as they explore they come upon a group of zombies standing around. They kill them handily.

Session Six 12/04/13

They push on to the inner bay and begin traveling along the beach. Another giant crab assaults them. Having easily dispatched the first one they faced, they totally underestimate the creature and it almost does for Rylie. But that evening finds them supping on crab.

In the morning they resume their travels and almost immediately stumble on the remains of a castaway camp. Rylie slips up to investigate and spots a strange plant covered zombie standing idly in the camp, seemingly staring mournfully at the sea. Neither she nor Aradin have heard of such a creature, which seems like a zombie, but is not undead. After destroying it they examine the camp, finding signs of violence and a fairly fresh trail heading off into the jungle. Following the tracks, they stumble on a jungle path, obviously traveled often by human feet. Leaving the trail for later they follow the zombie's tracks back to a strange clearing about an hour away along the cliff.

Two more of the strange zombies strand idly by a large sickly looking plant-pod. Rylie steps into the clearing and lets fly with her new fine, cold-iron star-knife, which cartwheels into the dense underbrush beyond the monsters as she misses. The zombies rush forward tot he attack, but are clumsy and weak compared to the vital and raging barbarian. Aradin moves to flank the creatures but as he steps too close to the plant-pod, it springs to life, spitting a nasty yellow pollen cloud at him. Briefly he sees the plant as a beautiful woman welcoming him into her arms, but he shakes free of the compulsion and it lashes out with its thorny tendrils. Quickly they finish the horrid plant and its minions and Rylie collects her knife from the jungle.

Deciding to change plans and follow the trail back across the island to investigate another ship they had seen days earlier they set out in the heat of the day. Rylie steps into a cleverly hidden snare set on the path at an intersection and is up-ended 10' into the air and slammed into a tree with sharpened branches. She cuts herself free and falls badly, injuring herself. Aradin wants to set camp but she insists they continue. Still following the trail, Rylie manages to see the next snare set at the next intersection, and warns Aradin just as he is about to step into it.

Continuing, they come out of the jungle in another cove with an almost finished wooden hut. More signs of bloodshed and battle are evident, and inside the hut, on the back wall, a strange pentagram scribed in blood with many teeth hammered into the wood around it. Pushing along the coast they make camp near the ship they plan to explore on the morrow.

Day 21
Rylie feels much better in the morning between her and Aradin's cure spells and her remarkable constitution. They swim out to the ship, but it is a bust. However, they recognize that whoever built that wooden hut came from this ship. With time to kill, they decide to finish their explorations along the top of the northern ridge. After an arduous climb in the heat of the day they find an area that must be the home of a giant spider and seek it out.

It climbs along in the trees trying to web the pair, but they prove too strong and when it moves to attack they quickly dispatch it. Feeling that they have now covered the entire northern peninsula of the island, they return to camp.

Day 22
Last night the party and the castaways discussed their next plan of action. Fear of a large cannibal attack, as evidenced by the other camps the party found, is in the back of everyone's minds. All the castaways are willing to travel with the party and Sasha even suggested a preemptive strike against the cannibals. Decisions still need to be made.

Session Seven 12/07/13

It is decided that Rylie and Aradin will finish exploring the area they are in, leaving the castaways at their current camp, previously the site of the haunting by Captain Kinkarian. They figure the beach was probably avoided by the cannibals who had to know it was haunted. The party sets off to explore the cannibal paths in the area. Several times, Rylie manages to spot the snare traps before she is hoisted into the air and slammed into the sharpened stakes, and once she even manages to dodge the trap as it is sprung. At one point, a trap they had previously sprung has been reset and cannibals lurk nearby in ambush. Rylie is hoisted into the air, but doesn't hurt herself as badly when she cuts herself free. She and Aradin make short work of the cannibals, allowing none to survive.

Aradin suggests disarming the traps but neither has much skill at it and Aradin is almost snatched up when he tries to jab a stick into one of the snares. They decided to just avoid the traps rather then mess with them.

As they travel, they encounter more zombies milling around near the path and use Aradin's magic to slip up on the mindless undead unnoticed. Rylie spoils it by attacking, but they make short work of them anyways. Later in the day, entering a narrow defile they spot a trap in the path and a cannibal hidden above them in a blind. He spots them as they attempt to climb up to him and he manages to knock Rylie off the cliff, but Aradin does for him.

Later, they meet one of the larger inhabitants of the island: a Shiv Dragon, who rushes Aradin while he is off alone one evening in an attempt to drag him off and eat him. After killing it, they decide to leave the corpse to rot as its teeth look diseased and they are leery of the meat. That night a trio of fangbirds swoops out of the night, spotting their fire from the air. Miraculously, Aradin, who is on watch, spots them before they attack and is able to wake Rylie up.

The next day, as the rest from the heat of the day, they are harassed by monkeys, but Rylie soothes them, making them friendly. Aradin tries making one a pet, but the monkeys seem unimpressed with him until, that night, the camp is visited by a snake, which attempts to claim one of the monkeys. Aradin and Rylie rescue the monkey that was its prey, treating its poisoned leg. Aradin makes a new friend.

The next day, the monkeys seem to want the party to continue along the cliffs rather then follow the jungle path up the hill. They take the party several hours into the wilds but then stop, seeming to want the party to go on ahead. They comply and wander into the hunting grounds of a mated pair of shocker lizards who proved deft and able foes, almost electrocuting the pair as they ambush them from the brush. At camp that evening the monkeys show up to check on them and rejoice in the death of the electric lizards.

The next day they decide to head back to the paths and explore the hill, the monkeys stay behind, save for Aradin's new pet. At the top they find a strange shrine of the cannibals: an old hut festooned in bones. Inside they find evidence of the cannibals origins and descent into madness through the rotted journal of the captain of the Thrune's Fang, a Climian vessal lost on the island decades ago. Deciding that it is time to gather the other castaways and strike for the lighthouse mentioned in the journals, they head to camp. Far across an inlet of water they can see swirling masses of seabirds nesting in the cliffs, and Aradin swears he sees something insect-like with strange tendrils hunting them.

Act Two: The Lighthouse

Arriving at camp, they share their new knowledge and plans. As most of the castaways lack the party's climbing skills, they decide to travel along the jungle paths, retracing their journeys of the last few days. Frustrating, but rewarding when Ishirou proves able to disarm the traps. After a couple days of travel they are in new territory. One night the dead bodies of their monkey friends are dropped onto them by the strange winged creature that seems to be following and harassing them. Rylie is sad and angry.

The next night Gellik is almost carried off by a giant spider when he goes to relieve himself. Fortunately, he drops a button and bends to pick it up and the spider misses its attack (rolled a 1!). His high pitched shrieks alert the party and the spider is quickly smashed. Much amusement is had at his expense.

Session Eight 12/14/13

The party sets off along the path, narrowly avoiding more snares set at irregular intervals. Just before noon they stand on the south side of a bay and can just make out what must be the lighthouse a few miles away along the coast. Not expecting trouble (why I do not know) they approach the tower during the heat of the day along the trail, allowing the cannibal sentries to see them a long way off. An ambush is set, and the party walks right into it.

It is a bloody and brutal battle, but in the end the party and castaways manage to overcome the thirteen cannibals, their chieftain, their witch and her skeletons, and the camp mascot, a Shiv Dragon. The witch's familiar manages to slip off into the jungle with the witch's wand, however.

Session Nine 12/21/13

The party and castaways are all fatigued from their long combat in the hot sun, but they begin the cleanup anyways. The dead are thrown in the a strange pit next to the lighthouse, along with the cannibals bloody butcher blocks, and the cauldron. The lighthouse itself is found to be almost finished, with maybe just a week's worth of work required to finish the construction of the signalling portion. Evidence is found that Ireana was here within the last week, a guest of the cannibals it would seem. They all huddle together in the chieftain's room, happy for the shelter and defensible location.

Day 31
In the morning, they take stock of the camp and their surroundings. They toss the 30 man-days of suspicious jerky in the hole and decide to burn Milinka's hut to the ground rather than try to clean out the monkey-stench. During the morning, a Shiv Dragon breeches the camp's defenses and makes a run on Aerys, who is almost dragged off into the brush. Gelik, from the top of the lighthouse, manages a critical shot that sends the wounded beast limping for the woods, but it is quickly run down and finished off. It, too, is sacrificed to the pit.

A strange rumbling and light show erupts far to the east. Lightning can be seen arcing into the sky from the direction of Red Mountain. During the heat of the day, Aerys sees a strange, almost dog-like, undead creature in the pit and Aradin and Rylie decide to investigate.

They find a series of sea-caves inhabited by the ghoulish ancestors, descendants and sacrifices of the Thrunefang cannibals, led by their ancient undead priestess, Mother Thrunefang. It is a harrowing battle in the darkness, and Rylie is almost drowned when she is paralyzed by a ghoul's claw and dragged underwater, but her toughness prevails. Aradin also falls prey to the Mother's paralysis in the water, but Rylie manages to pull him out of the water and lure the Mother into a foolish attack which opens her to a finishing and brutal series of claw attacks of her own.

Evidence is found of Captain Kovak's demise and rise as a ghoul, a seeming sacrifice by Ireana to gain the favor of the Mother. It would seem these caves hold a secret shrine to some ancient snake-cult.